Study the table, and figure out the order of evolution of each character. You have been given reason to believe that, based on the fossil record, Xenite A is the ancestral species. Create your cladogram for the Xenites.
Table below:
Xenite A. no spines, no eyestalks, no tail, no mouth
Xenite B. no spines, yes eyestalks, no tail, yes mouth
Xenite C. no spines, yes eyestalks, yes tail, yes mouth
Xenite D. yes spines, yes eyestalks, no tail, no mouth
Xenite E. yes spines, yes eyestalks, no tail, no mouth
Based on the given information, the order of evolution of the Xenites can be determined as follows:
1. Xenite A (ancestral species)
2. Xenite B
3. Xenite C
4. Xenite D
5. Xenite E
This order of evolution can be represented in a cladogram as follows:
Xenite A
/ \
Xenite B Xenite D
\ /
Xenite C
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Xenite E